The 500 Years’ Concert
Portugal in Stamps has been published uninterruptedly by Correios de Portugal since 1983. Each edition has brought together all the year’s issues, always supported by bilingual texts, so that they may easily travel the world. Designed for those who know how to value stamps as unique collection pieces, expressive messengers and social communication mediators, this edition is also addressed to those who accept the challenge of recognising that «to collect Portuguese stamps is to discover Portugal».
In the year that the postal service in Portugal celebrates 500 years of existence, Jorge M. Martins, author of Portugal in Stamps, chose music as the structuring theme of this annual book, recalling that the «concert» began by the music-loving king Manuel I, when he appointed the first Postmaster General of the Kingdom, has been going on for 5 centuries of history and features thousands of interpreters.
Summoning music to unite the natural diversity of the 2020 issues, and having the beautiful 16th century musical iconography as a graphic environment, the chapter titles also refer to the founder of Correio who, according to chromist Damião de Goes, listened to “harpsichord music” while he “giving an audience”(“Manueline Songbook”), to Beethoven's great music (“Pastoral Symphony” and “Ode to Joy ”) and to Amália Rodrigues’ historical discography, “Songs in an Ancient Language”, “Song of the Sea ”and, of course, “Portuguese Fado”.
This is Portugal in Stamps 2020, celebrating 500 years of the Portuguese Post, summarizing what the stamps celebrated this year as we promise to continue to record the history of Portugal and the world, with the CTT philately’s trademark quality and innovation, always delivering the trust with which the Portuguese have distinguished us.
With a limited print run of 7000 limited copies, this bilingual edition contains a color proof of the “Thank you, Portuguese!”, 83 stamps, 16 souvenir sheets, 2 miniature sheets and 1 special sheet, at a face value of €109,40.
